Authors:

Shiwang Cheng(University of Akron)

Panpan Lin(University of Akron)

Mesfin Tsige(University of Akron)

Shi-Qing Wang(University of Akron)

Ductile polymer glasses can undergo large tensile extension (cold draw) to
double its original length either homogeneously or through necking. The
corresponding tensile stress is typically much higher than the rubbery
elastic modulus. Apart from the plastic component, there is also an
energetic contribution to the mechanical stress. The origin of this elastic
stress appears to arise from the existence of a chain network. The elastic
yielding phenomenon [1] indicates that significant chain tension builds up
during the cold drawing. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulation is carried
out to delineate the nature of the chain tension and explore the suggestion
of bond distortion in deformation of polymeric glasses. In a simple model to
mimic a polymer glass with sufficient chain networking, we found evidence
for the bond distortion that grows with the degree of extension.
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[1] ``Elastic yielding in cold drawn polymer glasses well below the glass
transition temperature,'' S. W. Cheng and S. Q. Wang, \textit{Phys. Rev. Lett. }\textbf{110}, 065506
(2013).

*This work is supported, in part, by NSF (CMMI-0926522 and DMR-1105135)

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2014.MAR.S20.13